Applying the brakes

The relaxed pace of life here is lovely in personal life and I’ve generally not been too bothered by changed or frustrated plans, rescheduling or delays because of chance meetings. It has all been part of settling in and learning a different culture.
In my work, however, I have been feeling a lot of friction this week, just like putting on brakes, except that I have been trying to keep my foot on the accelerator at the same time! For reasons both within and outside my control, I have been plunged into work very quickly and not had time to get my office organised or read up all the background on the projects. My efforts to do this have been frustrated by a number of unexpected events : an extended negotiation with an American group over a disputed bill at the guest house, a power cut at home, unexpected visitors to the office and unscheduled trips to the bank among others. They are all a necessary and important part of my work, but they were not what I had planned to do and “no progress has been made”. It’s only me that is bothered by this, of course! It’s inevitable that the brakes will be on all the time I’m here, I just need to take my foot off the other pedal.